Yellow-crowned Night Heron (Nyctanassa violacea) is in the Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns family (Ardeidae). Across the U.S., iNaturalist users have logged 62,126 research-grade observations of it in our sample, peaking in May.
Seasonal pattern in the national data: seasonal. Counts also reflect when people are out photographing, so compare months within a state rather than across states.
When to photograph Yellow-crowned Night Heron: observations by month (U.S.)
About Yellow-crowned Night Heron
The yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea, formerly in the genus Nycticorax), is one of two species of night herons found in the Americas, the other one being the black-crowned night heron. It is known as the Bihoreau Violacé in French and the Pedrete Corona Clara in Spanish.From Wikipedia via iNaturalist — article, CC BY-SA.
Yellow-crowned Night Heron by state
| State | Observations | Peak month | Main season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | 27,830 | April | Apr–Sep |
| Florida | 12,005 | May | Apr–Mar |
| California | 6,405 | August | Jul–Jun |
| Virginia | 2,020 | July | Apr–Sep |
| New York | 1,958 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Louisiana | 1,722 | April | Apr–Sep |
| South Carolina | 1,377 | July | Mar–Aug |
| Maryland | 1,259 | May | Apr–Aug |
| New Jersey | 1,097 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Oklahoma | 834 | May | Apr–Aug |
| Georgia | 812 | July | Apr–Sep |
| Tennessee | 555 | April | Apr–Oct |
| Mississippi | 542 | June | May–Sep |
| North Carolina | 488 | April | Apr–Sep |
| Alabama | 461 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Connecticut | 453 | August | Apr–Sep |
| Massachusetts | 364 | August | Jul–Sep |
| District of Columbia | 252 | June | May–Jul |
| Kansas | 249 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Missouri | 213 | May | May–Sep |
| Illinois | 204 | April | Apr–Aug |
| Pennsylvania | 164 | July | Apr–Aug |
| Delaware | 136 | August | Jul–Sep |
| Arkansas | 132 | May | Apr–Sep |
| Ohio | 106 | August | May–Sep |
| Minnesota | 70 | May | Apr–May |
| Wisconsin | 59 | August | Jun–Aug |
| Maine | 58 | August | May–Sep |
| Colorado | 53 | September | Apr–Oct |
| Kentucky | 37 | June | Apr–Aug |
| New Mexico | 37 | October | May–Oct |
| Rhode Island | 37 | July | May–Sep |
| Michigan | 30 | June | Apr–Aug |
| Indiana | 28 | April | Apr–May |
| Arizona | 23 | November | Nov–Nov |
| Nebraska | 14 | August | Aug–Aug |
| Vermont | 10 | August | Aug–Aug |
| Iowa | 9 | July | Jun–Aug |
| Oregon | 7 | May | May–May |
| South Dakota | 6 | August | Jul–Sep |
Main season = months with at least 30% of the state's peak-month count.
Related birds (Herons, Egrets, and Bitterns)
Great Blue Heron
Great Egret
Snowy Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Little Blue Heron
Tricolored Heron
Western Cattle-Egret
Photography tips
- Use a fast shutter (1/2000 s or faster) for birds in flight.
- Focus on the eye and shoot at the bird's eye level.
- Approach slowly and stop if the bird changes behavior; never bait or flush birds.
- Morning activity peaks in the first two hours after sunrise.
FAQ
When is the best time to photograph Yellow-crowned Night Heron?
Nationally, May has the most observations, with the main season from March to September.
Where is Yellow-crowned Night Heron most often seen?
The most observations come from Texas, Florida, California.